This invention relates to new and useful improvements in scraper assemblies and drive means therefor adapted to scrape manure and the like from barn or pit floors.
There are many such devices, but all of them require a relatively flat floor surface in order to clean efficiently. If the floor surface is slightly uneven, as often occurs in practice, the conventional scraper assemblies do not scrape the floor effectively. Furthermore, conventional scraper assemblies do not incorporate means to automatically close down the drive mechanism if an obstruction such as an animal or equipment, is encountered by the scraper assembly.
Conventional drives for scraper assemblies normally incorporate a winching mechanism with an endless chain or cable but due to the lack of a safety close down on the drive mechanism, should an obstruction be encountered, cause damage to scraper and drive and/or animal or equipment accidently obstructing the path of the scraper.
Another disadvantage of conventional scraper assemblies is that on drives incorporating a double winch arrangement the idlers are not angled in relationship to the drive pulley which forces the cable sideways to align with the grooves of idler and drive pulleys which accelerates cable and pulley wear.
Conventional drive assemblies using rounded metal grooves in metal pulleys instead of the V-grooves or U-grooves of resilient nonmetal pulleys must use excessive tension to achieve the desired pull without slippage which accelerates cable and drum wear.